Zydrunas Ilgauskas gets bought out, I shrug
by Mike Prada on Feb 25, 2010 3:48 PM EST
in Free Agency
37 comments
So Michael Lee reported that the Wizards have finalized the buyout on Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Ilgauskas will reportedly leave $1.5 million on the table, which is significant because he's only owed another $3.5 million the rest of the way. Lee has more about how much money this saved (I just hope we use it to sign guys cheaply to fill out the roster while also avoiding the luxury tax instead of pocketing it).
There's been a lot written and said about this whole situation. A lot of you guys are annoyed Z never suited up for us, and feel like the whole arrangement of him going back to Cleveland is a farce. Others around the league, like my man Kelly Dwyer, don't get the angst, because every party gets what they want.
Me? I don't really care.
Sorry to say it, but Z's so far removed from everything the current edition of the Wizards is. He's older, slower and in desperate need of a ring after so many tough years of service. Our guys are younger, hungrier and looking to make a name for themselves. He needs to play in a half-court system; we need to play up-tempo. He needs to be insurance for a 38-year old man; we don't need insurance for our twenty-something thoroughbred young bigs.
So really, I just don't see the point of worrying about Z. I'm not insulted that he doesn't want to be here, because why should he? We don't need him either, so what's the big deal? Let him go back to Cleveland, for all I care. It's as if he was never ours to me.
Now, does the rule allowing players to return to their teams after being traded in the same season need to be changed at some point? Yeah, absolutely. You can't on the one hand preach that the NBA is a business and on the other allow players to return to their old team just by throwing a fit and refusing to show up. But the time to change it is during the next CBA, when everyone understands they're operating under a different set of rules. Not now, when it means letting Doc Rivers, a guy who benefited from the rule in 2005 when he got Gary Payton back on his team, win.
Bottom line: the Wizards don't need to be martyrs, and neither do we. Let Z go quietly, let him do whatever he wants, and focus on improving (and rooting for) the mix of players who do actually want to be here.
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glad to see dwyer's take
i was beginning to think i was the only one who saw it that way.
by DarrellWalkerFan on Feb 25, 2010 5:55 PM EST reply actions
Who gives a crap about Z?
Having him would give us no benefit, and buying him out helps our cap situation. He has no place on a rebuilding team like us.
I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE!
by OleksiyPecherovsHomeboy on Feb 25, 2010 8:15 PM EST reply actions
I know people will hate this
But I’m not sure if Cleveland does this deal if they don’t know the Wiz will get a buyout from Z. After all, they wanted him back regardless of how it looks. Plenty of teams have done it, and there will be teams that argue that you’re hurting trades (including the Wiz) by not allowing this stuff to happen. It doesn’t change the competitiveness of the NBA; it just pisses people off. Losing pisses people off too, but it doesn’t necessarily change the problem.
No mistakes in the tango, Donna. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
I'm not sure Donald Sterling is a human being. He had to have been manufactured by someone, possibly David Stern, so that one team could solely just make profit for the NBA while doing nothing good for themselves. -- Aykis 16
it absolutely changes the competitiveness of the league? how can you write that with a straight face. the best team in the league just picked up a 20-10 player for the playoff run.
by les boulez bomber on Feb 26, 2010 12:20 AM EST up reply actions
Did you just call Zydrunas Ilgauskas a 20-10 player?
And you say how can I say what I did with a straight face?
No mistakes in the tango, Donna. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
I'm not sure Donald Sterling is a human being. He had to have been manufactured by someone, possibly David Stern, so that one team could solely just make profit for the NBA while doing nothing good for themselves. -- Aykis 16
AJ Yes. But, that's what happens when you're in the Wiz situation. I was talking about Z only.
No mistakes in the tango, Donna. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
I'm not sure Donald Sterling is a human being. He had to have been manufactured by someone, possibly David Stern, so that one team could solely just make profit for the NBA while doing nothing good for themselves. -- Aykis 16
D-League Allstars
I hope that whatever portion of the Z-buyout savings that we spend filling out the roster goes to exciting youngish D-League allstars rather than NBA journeyman in their late-20s early-30s. The Wizards should compensate for low talent with high energy. Mike Harris is a good start. No Mike Wilks, Billy Thomas, Calvin Booth types. Please
by morethesamewiz on Feb 25, 2010 9:03 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Shaq sprained his thumb during tonights game vs. Celtics
so Z is very likely to end up back with the Cavs sooner than later.
first Cavs game Ive seen with Jamison. I had no problem with Butler and Haywood in a Mavs uniform, but its really difficult to watch AJ in a Cavs uniform.
AGREED!
I think what made it harder for me last night was that it was AJ’s first game in the “WHine and Gold” The past games they were in that old Orange and blue throwbacks but seeing him in their regular colors just threw me way off. Its very hard to watch him in that uniform and actually care about him as a fan.
by SkinsWizStangs on Feb 26, 2010 12:09 PM EST up reply actions
Totally agree, Mike.
I honestly don’t think Z’s whereabouts are newsworthy. It’s nothing overtly unethical, we don’t need him here, and Z wants to be back in Cleveland where he’s spent his entire career. I might not love LeBron, but it’s not worth eating money and young guys’ minutes to hold on to Z out of spite.
It is not often, but I completely disagree. If a team traded a player for another or some other benefit, it should not be allowed to resign that player thirty days later (for that season actually). This is not rocket science! It’s bad for the league too because who cares about a sport whose championships are bought by the same few teams. Baseball has the same problem.
Healthy competition is exciting and overall healthier for the league. Why do you think March Madness is such a hit?
by les boulez bomber on Feb 26, 2010 12:18 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
+1
The circumstances worked out great for us but like I heard Charles said it “undermines the integrity of the game.” Sure Z now gets to head back to a title contender which is great for him but by principal other teams besides the Wiz should have had a fair shot at gaining his services.
by purpleonblack86 on Feb 26, 2010 1:11 AM EST up reply actions
Another Way to Look at This
Let’s say the NBA has a rule in place that forbids players from returning to their teams in the same season they are traded. Then it’s very possible that Cleveland never makes this deal, and we are stuck with AJ’s contract until at least the off-season, while losing out on the opportunity to gain a 1st round pick and Al Thornton.
"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier
There is a rule...
That a player can’t be traded to a team that traded him away in that same season. The ability to sign them as a free agent could be seen as inconsistent with that.
*say “it undermines the integrity of the game.”
by purpleonblack86 on Feb 26, 2010 1:12 AM EST reply actions
The only thing I wish Z had been able to do here...
was give some tips on defensive positioning and interior passing to JaVale.
Cleveland really tore apart Boston last night and their game against Toronto is on live here in Warsaw around 1:00 AM. I will be watching the frontcourt chemistry among Antawn, JJ and Flopper with interest.
I am torn
in that I cold give a sh!t about Z playing here. I had no interest in ever seeing him in a Wizards uniform. He is the exact opposite of all the reasons this team is exciting to me again. No way would I want to see us playing 4 on 5 because the thoroughbreds we have now are running the court while his slow, decrepit ass is plodding around midcourt.
On the other hand, it burns me that the guy basically “demanded” a buyout. You sign a contract, you can get traded – that’s the nature of the beast. You don’t wanna honor that contract? Then you don’t get paid. That’s how I see it. Now, I do realize that the Wiz never intended on him suiting up here, so this is no big deal to them. It was his salary, and not his skills that brought on the deal. I get that. But, still, I group him in with the Drew Gooden situation. You don’t wanna play here? Fine, then we don’t want you. But we’re not gonna pay you to leave. Or, if we do, it will be a pittance of your salary.
I pretty much am at the same place
I wish we could just tear up his contract and that’s that. I think if you demand a buyout then that’s how it should be.
But as long as the money we’re paying him doesn’t negatively effect the team then I don’t really care. Except it would be sweet to see Cleveland go into the playoffs with AJ or Varejao as their center.
Why did he " only " have to leave 1.5 million
He should have payed the full value back to the Wiz plus a buyout fee. That was my first reaction. After I thought about it for awhile I am glad that the Cavs took on Jamison contract since it would have killed any chance of a decent FA coming to Washington in the near future.
I was hoping for more too, even though it's not my money
but then again if it were say…Vince Carter or Ray Allen or Manu would you have such an issue letting him get back to his team? It’s really just because it’s Cleveland. And the money wouldn’t be coming from Cleveland but rather from Z’s pocket. So I guess I feel like whatever.
Why?
One could argue he did us a favor. Faced with the options of paying him $3.5MM to play the last 30 games of the season with us, or $2MM not to, wouldn’t you pick the latter?
No, the Wizards did Z a favor by working out a deal before the March 1st deadline.
But of course, the Pollins making $1.5 million is worth more than spiting Cleveland.
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by Kyle Weidie on Feb 26, 2010 12:27 PM EST up reply actions
exactly
truthfully, I woulda rather paid him his contract, make him languish at the end of the bench, maybe hurt Cleveland in the process, then reap the benefits of his expired contract next year. Probably sounds petty, I know, but it just rubs me the wrong way that he was pretty much whining his way outta here.
But, then again, it’s not my money I’m talking about spending, so I guess my say doesn’t really count.
His contract expires this year
We already get the benefit. We’re going to give up $1.5MM to spite CLE? That’s easy to say when it’s not your money…
It also doesn't make you very popular with agents around the League either.
No mistakes in the tango, Donna. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
I'm not sure Donald Sterling is a human being. He had to have been manufactured by someone, possibly David Stern, so that one team could solely just make profit for the NBA while doing nothing good for themselves. -- Aykis 16
again
to both of you curmudgeons, I reiterate -
But, then again, it’s not my money I’m talking about spending, so I guess my say doesn’t really count.
and screw the agents around the league. They need to start getting used to a new way of doing things with this new CBA. Maybe the agents wouldn’t like me, but other teams would (’Cept maybe Cleveland) Thats how these things go – everyone waits for someone else to take a stand.
this seems high-handed to me
are you considering the possibility that we had no interest in Z? just his contract? (and dumping jamison’s?) why are you blaming this all on Z?
by DarrellWalkerFan on Feb 26, 2010 11:55 AM EST up reply actions
Who said he refused to play?
He said he’d rather be bought out, and that’s a win-win. He didn’t refuse to play as far as we know. We didn’t require that he did, as far as we know. You’re imagining this was a contentious thing, and there’s no indication that it was.
I'm pretty sure
I read that, from the beginning, he was asking for a buyout. I know his agent said he “expected a buyout”, and that Z wouldn’t play for the Wizards.
That doesn't mean he refused to play.
I got the super-secret tapes of the meeting between his agent (Herb Rudoy) and Ernie. Here’s what they said:
H: How’s it going, Ernie?
E: You know… I guess i’ve been better.
H: Yeah, I guess. Hey, listen, we were thinking since you got a youth movement thing going on here you’d maybe buy my guy out.
E: What do you mean? We’re trying to make a push for the playoffs! 30 games left anything can happen!
H: …
E: Yeah, OK, just kidding. Almost said it with a straight face, too. But, hey, that’s just between you and me, OK? I’m trying to keep my job here.
H: Haha, well good luck with that.
E: Speaking of which, do you know anyone that’s looking?
H: Well, I’ll keep my eye out, but you know it’s tough out there. So listen, about Z?
E: Yeah, we got no use for him. How’s $200k sound to buy himself out?
H: Really, we thought $1.5MM would be awesome, but $200k, heck…
E: Oh, oops, I meant $1.5MM. I must’ve been thinking of Mike James.
(scene)
by RamV on Feb 26, 2010 4:57 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
That's funny Ram.
It reminds me of a joke that Grant of McCovey Chronicles made about Brian Sabean and the AJ Pierzynski trade years ago.
No mistakes in the tango, Donna. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....
I'm not sure Donald Sterling is a human being. He had to have been manufactured by someone, possibly David Stern, so that one team could solely just make profit for the NBA while doing nothing good for themselves. -- Aykis 16
We shoulda sat on him for a few more days
Wait until the last possible minute, let him get (even more) out of shape, and then send him back as a useless waste of space.
That's essentially what we did
The last day to buy guys out and still let them play this season is March 1.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
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